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Ames says experience key to candidacy

CHILLICOTHE – Nancy Ames said she thinks her experience on Chillicothe City Council and a demonstrated ability to work well with people are two key assets she would bring to the mayor’s office if elected.

Ames, a 62-year-old Republican, represents the city’s Second Ward and has served on council since 2007. That experience in city government, in addition to being involved with nearly every city committee, has helped her develop a strong understanding of the issues facing Chillicothe, she said.

The chairwoman of the city’s Development Committee has worked as a librarian at Bishop Flaget School for the past 21 years and is a member of the Downtown Development Commission, an 11-member panel tasked with promoting and improving the heart of downtown.

“We’ve got so many things going on right now, we’ve sort of turned a corner and we’ve got to keep the momentum going to encourage new businesses and encouraging businesses that are here to do things to reach out to the community,” Ames said.

Among the bigger issues facing the community that Ames expects to tackle is an ongoing drug problem, which she said she will focus on if elected. To do that, working with other entities is an important thing that needs to happen, she said.

“I think the key is collaboration,” Ames said. “We are building a very united partnership with the (city) police and (county) sheriff’s department, and I would like to see that strengthened even more and work together on problems because we are short on personnel and have to work together.”

She credited police officer Randy Pratt for his effort in tackling nuisance problems across the city, and said she would like to see the creation of a part-time or a full-time position dedicated to nuisance enforcement.

“We want the neighborhoods to look nice,” Ames said, adding it will help further development efforts.

Ames said she originally had no aspirations to be mayor when she started on council eight years ago, but noted her involvement on different boards helped her gain a better understanding of how things work collectively.

“I get really excited when I see a project that needs to be done,” she said. “I like a challenge. I like research. I like meeting people and, so when I found out that the mayor wasn’t going to run again, this was the perfect opportunity. I have enough background on city council and I have enough information with groups and projects that I’ve worked on that it’s the right time and it all just came together.”

Ames also recognized infrastructure issues — such as roads — need to be addressed, saying they only will get fixed if money is available. She is in favor of a proposed license plate fee and said providing basic services, such as refuse pickup and leaf removal, also will be priorities.

She said her campaign will involve meeting individually with people and different civic organizations. She vowed to continue being transparent with citizens, adding she has done so since she has been on council. She said there always is room for improvement and is in favor of looking at what other cities do as a potential model for what Chillicothe might try.

“Sometimes the way we do things is the best way, but there’s always a reason to look at something and say, ‘Can we do it better?” Ames said.